MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
The USPTA Georgia Board is excited to offer its first-ever USPTA Virtual Seminar Contest
This contest encourages all USPTA professionals to submit a 7 to 10-minute presentation to the board to be considered as our top online speaker for this calendar year 2024. By submitting a presentation, you will be entered into our raffle to win prizes and additional prizes will be awarded to our top virtual seminar speakers. More details and a timeline of the contest are coming soon in your email, but you can start preparing your topic to present today!
Michael Pereira michaelpereiratennis@gmail.comSummer Camp Time by Rod Slack
usptagaboard@gmail.com
As the seasons change for the warmer and the school year winds down it's time for what some juniors consider “Tennis Heaven”. The more experienced of you are gasping because you realize. “My turnout is not going to be as good as it could have been if we started in January. Next year...be ready.
1. Camp Plan A good place to start is organizational or municipal websites such as the USPTA, USTA or your particular club/city/public park website. Some guidelines can be obtained to make sure your event complies.
2. Schedule Will you offer half day or full day, break time and refreshment requirements, the lunch breaks and will there be additional activities, for example, like swimming in neighborhoods or clubs like the YMCA? Is it daily, every week, or a 10week course complete with tutoring?
3. Your Facility Are you in a two-court community, 6-12 court small club or a major tennis academy with 24 courts? Your safety plan is addressed here. Everything from a fully staffed training team at a club to having a first aid kit in your bag at a minimum. The Red Cross recommends portable defibrillators be available.
4. Camp structure List of Pre-camp Indicators for a High-Performance Camp
Flexibility, Core Strength, Power Test, Agility & Speed/ Aerobic Endurance
List of Camp Structure
Red/Orange/Green/Yellow level...Athletic Age...Tennis Experience Age
Typical Day examples...Warm-up...Character Development...Conflict resolution...Athletic Development...Skills development...Nutritional development. FUN...FUN!
5. Staff Pros and volunteer capabilities. Are they “ Safeplay” certified...First Aid trained...Insured?
This information is by no means complete. You can fill in the gaps based on your experience and what you bring to the table. The makings of a good camp would be the result. These steps, which I use the term “inter-professional” to describe a process (when a group of professionals work out a problem or issue by combining various proven techniques.) We share information to help each other succeed.
Roderick “Coach Rod” Slack (USPTA Elite Professional, 2023 USPTA SOUTHERN Coach of the Year, USTA Certified High Performance/10U Coach, NCAA Certified Coach, IPTA, ISSA)
Coachrod911@gmail.com usptagaboard@gmail.com
Diagnosing and Correcting the Forehand ‘Grip-Slip’ with Junior Players by Liam Villante
As tennis coaches and mentors, one of the foundational aspects we emphasize with our junior and beginner players is the importance of mastering the forehand grip. Understanding the correlation between forehand grip types – eastern, semi-western, and western – and how they affect the player's hand placement on the racket is essential for developing a strong and effective forehand stroke.
When introducing the forehand grip to our players, it's crucial to start with a method that allows them to feel comfortable and natural. Many coaches opt to have their players pick up the racket from the ground and experiment with different hand positions while bouncing the ball downwards. This exercise helps players find a general SemiWestern grip position that suits them best while also gauging the amount of hand hanging off the racket.
As younger players begin to hit at a higher volume, and as they receive faster-paced shots, it's common that the forehand grip position may ‘slip’ over towards a more western grip position. This shift often results in the hand sliding off the bottom of the grip. The more the hand hangs off the racket, the more likely the forehand grip is to be western. To counter this tendency and encourage proper grip positioning, coaches can implement a simple yet effective drill.
One such drill involves having the player choke up on the racket until their hand meets the throat and the top of the grip. This adjustment naturally places the player's grip in a
more semi-western position, providing stronger forearm support and racket head control. Furthermore, this position facilitates the rotation of the racket head around the forearm, a crucial element in executing a powerful and accurate forehand stroke.
To further reinforce proper grip technique, coaches can introduce progressions where the player gradually repositions their hand along the grip. Starting from the choked-up position, players can then move their hand toward the middle of the handle and eventually to the bottom. This gradual progression allows players to familiarize themselves with different grip positions while maintaining the proper grip placement along the bevels of the grip.
By incorporating these simple drills and progressions into training sessions, coaches can help junior and beginner players develop a solid foundation in grip technique and placement while encouraging and maintaining proper grip positioning. Watch out for the ‘grip-slip’ with your players to reduce the likelihood of changing their grip later in their development.
Liam Villante liamvillante@gmail.com usptagaboard@gmail.comIs networking in person a thing of the past? by Carmen Garcia-Jersild
Is networking in person a thing of the past? I guess it depends on whom you ask this question to and what generation you are speaking to. My preference is to network in person because you can see the person’s personality, and how they interact with others and both of you get a chance to make a great first impression.
I would like you to ask yourself this question, can we network virtually the same way we network in person? It seems these days all bets are off, meaning you can network any time you want and with anybody you want, from any place in the world and it is all good. Not everyone has the privilege to live closer or in proximity of somebody you want to network with. Therefore, you might send e-mails, look at the LinkedIn of someone you are interested in connecting with, post a comment on some of their social platforms they are using for that person to see you are interested in their content, etc. I think the value of networking in person has been raised and it is more necessary than ever; however, we know we can’t do that with everyone but when we can, should we make the effort to network in person?
Let us look at the real meaning of networking in the Webster's Dictionary to refine our memory:
Networking is "the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions. Specifically:the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business"
The words from this definition above that I like the most are “cultivation of productive relationship”. When it comes to the racquet sports industry, it has changed a lot. Do you
agree? There was a time when a lot of the networking was done in person. I started my tennis coaching career in 2002 and many tennis professionals would attend the USPTA Annual World Conference, their sectional USPTA tennis conference as well as their local USPTA workshop. Many of these coaches, including myself, still believe any workshop that will allow her/him to network is an opportunity to get to know more tennis professionals. It is also an opportunity to get our names out there, to collaborate to have an opportunity to land the next job. This allows you to cultivate new professional relationships while still maintaining those previous professional relationships you have developed through the years. Making these connections in person lasts longer and builds stronger professional relationships than any other form of networking.
After reading this, anyone can argue that networking in person or virtually is the same. You can exchange information or services and cultivate productive relationships for employment either way, right? I think the best thing about networking is that you can take the initiative to start the networking process. If you work close to the person, you want to network with, send them an e-mail and invite them to your club or for coffee to network. There is no need to wait for the next conference or workshop, I understand people are busy and that maybe the first time you reach out to the person, he/she might not be able to join you for a networking meeting but reach out again. Teaching professionals like to share their views on coaching, programming challenges or any topic they are passionate about. Therefore, take the initiative and reach out to that person you have been meaning to reach out to for the last six months. I bet it will pay off to do so. Moreover, next time there is a conference or workshop close to where you live or even if it requires you to take a couple of days off from work, consider attending. Networking in person is still very valuable and will have a more lasting impact on your professional relationships and your coaching career.
Carmen
Garcia-Jersildcmg@aac1.org usptagaboard@gmail.com
Joint Event July 27 at GA Tech. Exciting speakers will be at the workshop.
New this year: Each attendee will be pre-charged to get a ticket for the 2024 Atlanta Open tournament. If the tournament attendee goes to the tournament, the money prepaid will be refunded. If he/she doesn't attend the tournament, the ticket charge stays in effect.
Limited to 25 players.
Rick Willett rickdwillett@gmail.com usptagaboard@gmail.com
USPTA GA Winter Workshop/SAVE THE DATE IN YOUR CALENDAR!
Friday, December 6, 2024 (rain or shine)
Great Speakers will be at the workshop!
Awards Luncheon and great opportunities to network and continue learning!
Do you have a great racquet sports professional you want to nominate for an award? We will send an e-mail out with details on how to nominate a peer! Stay tuned!